Google Drive Files Not Showing Up on PC/Phone/Mac

When you have uploaded files and documents to Google Drive, they may not show up right away. Read this article to learn about the major factors that led to the Google Dive files not showing up problem. Several methods have been suggested to solve this issue. If files are still not showing up in Google Drive, try the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to scan and recover files on your Google Drive files on your PC.

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Page Table of Contents

Updated By

Brithny

Updated on

24 July 2024

Min Reading

9 Min

What Is Google drive

Google Drive offers a platform for individuals to store files online, and then you can access those stored files and documents from any device with an internet connection, including your PC, tablet, or phone. For users who have already owned or registered a Google account when they first use this drive, they will be given 15 GB of free storage on Google Drive to experience its functions.

google drive image

Highlights of Google Drive:

  • Protect data
  • Access files from anywhere
  • Support a wide range of file types
  • Recognize images and texts quickly
  • Store and share files in an efficient way

Why Google Drive Files Not Showing Up 

Have you ever run into a problem when you open your Google Drive, only to find that those uploaded files are not showing up in it? Although the functions of Google Drive are very powerful, sometimes there may be a bug where the shared files do not show up in it when you wish to edit them with others. The following are the factors that may cause uploaded and shared files to not show up in Google Drive.

  • The internet connection is not stable
  • Mistakes during the operation process
  • Google Drive has an internal system error
  • You are not entitled to edit the files by the sharer
  • The files that you want to sync have been removed

How to Fix Google Drive Files Not Showing Up Problem

After you have come across the files not showing up problem, you can try the following methods to make those uploaded, shared, and synced files in Google Drive show up again.

1. Wait and Refresh Interface

If you see a "Temporary Error (502)" on the PC interface, don't panic! It means that the files and documents in Google Drive are temporarily not showing up. All you need to do is wait for a while and then try to refresh the interface.

2. Resign in

You can also try to sign out of your Google account on Google Drive and resign from it again to fix this issue.

3. Pause and Resume Google Drive

If you are using the mobile apps of Google Drive on your phone or tablet. You can tap the "upload paused" file in the file folders. After that, the upload will be automatically resumed from where it was paused.

resume google frive uploads on phones

If you use Google Drive on your PC, you can refer to the following steps to resume it.

Step 1. Click the Backup & Sync icon.

Step 2. Click the three dots at the top-right corner of the Backup & Sync panel.

resume google drive uploads on computer

Step 3. Click "Resume" and wait for a few minutes.

4. Run Google Backup App as Administrator

Step 1. Find Google Drive in Windows and right-click on it.

Step 2. Run Google Drive as administrator.

5. Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Step 1. Open Chrome Chrome > Click More > Click Settings

google chrome settings

Step 2. Click Privacy and Security > Click Cookies and Other Site Data

find cookies and other site data

Step 3. Click See all site data and permissions > Remove all data > Clear all

6. Reduce the Size of Files

If the files or documents exceed the size limits, they may not be successfully loaded onto Google Drive. In this situation, you can try to divide those large files into more than one file.

7. View Un-synced Files Online

Step 1. Open Taskbar and click on the menu of Google Drive.

Step 2. Select Preferences > Right-click Goggle Drive icon > View unsynced files.

Step 3. Select the Visit Google Drive on the web option.

8. Use Incognito Mode

You can also open incognito mode on Google Chrome to get rid of outdated caches, which are also very likely to cause the Google Drive not showing up problem.

Step 1. Click the three-dot menu on the top-right corner of Chrome.

Step 2. Choose New incognito window/use the Ctrl + Shift + N.

chrome invognito mode

9. Check Your Firewall and Proxy Settings

Occasionally, firewall and proxy settings may block access to Google Drive. When you find the uploaded and shared files are not showing up in Google Drive, it is necessary to check your firewall and proxy settings.

To allow Google Drive through the firewall, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1. Press the Windows plus S Keys > type Firewall.

Step 2. Click on the first option > Select Allow an app or feature through Firewall.

Step 3. Select Change Settings > Tick Public and Private option for Google Drive.

firewall setting

You also need to close automatically detect proxy settings if you have issues with Google Drive. Then enable Direct connect after turning off this option.

How to Restore Missing Files in Google Drive

If you have tried all the above methods but the files are still missing from Google Drive, the files or documents on your PC may have been deleted permanently by mistake or accident. In this situation, it is recommended that you use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard, which is powerful enough to help check and recover those deleted or lost files and documents.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard has been highly praised by its users for its excellent performance in restoring permanently deleted files. It can help recover a wide range of files in different types and allows you to preview the files or documents before recovery.

 Download for Win Recovery Rate 99.7%
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Whenever you wish to restore deleted or lost data, you can refer to the following step-by-step tutorial.

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard in Windows 11/10/8/7 and choose the place where you lost data. Then, click "Search for Lost Data" to find lost data.

select a location to scan

Step 2. After the scan, use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner to find the files you need. You can also search in the search box, which is the fastest way to find the target file. Then, you can click the "Preview" button or double-click a file to preview its content.

Choose files to recover

Step 3. Click the checkbox next to the file and click "Recover" to get back the lost data to your local storage or Cloud drive.

Recover lost data

More Google Drive Files Not Showing Up Guides

Google Drive is accessible not only in Windows but also compatible with iPhone, Android as well as Mac. And the files not showing scenario can also happen on these devices. You can use the solutions below to address Google Drive files not showing problem on iPhone/Andriod/Mac.

How to fix google drive files not showing up on iPhone

There are five ways to help files in Google Drive show up again on your iPhone.

  • Update Google Drive
  • Offload Google Drive
  • Check internet connection
  • Sign out your google account
  • Delete and reinstall Google Drive

How to fix google drive files not showing up on Android

If you are using Android and unfortunately come across the files not showing problem, it is recommended that you use the methods listed below.

  • Sign out and sign in again
  • Deleting the cache of the app
  • Update the Google Drive app
  • Check the internet connection
  • Reinstall the Google Drive app
  • Quit and restart the Google Drive app
  • Search solutions in Google help center

How to fix google drive files not showing up on Mac

If you meet such a problem when you are using Google Drive on your Mac, the following methods may offer a lot of help.

  • Turn off the screen share
  • Reinstall Drive file stream
  • Allow the syncing permission
  • Check the Internet connection
  • Switch off the Windows firewall
  • Check if anti-virus software is blocking Google Drive file stream

Conclusion

You are entitled to freely use the suggested methods mentioned above to address Google Drive files not showing problems at any time. If everything remains the same after all the solutions have been tried, it is recommended that you try EaseUS data recovery software to scan and recover those missing files.

 Download for Win Recovery Rate 99.7%
 Download for Mac Trustpilot Rating 4.8

  • Updated by

    Brithny is a technology enthusiast, aiming to make readers' tech lives easy and enjoyable. She loves exploring new technologies and writing technical how-to tips. In her spare time, she loves sharing things about her game experience on Facebook or Twitter.…
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